Sancassania chelone? Acaridae, O-Ungarn, 04.2011 <=

[Walter Pfliegler]

Hi, I found these Acaridae deutonymphs on the wing of a Melolontha melolontha beetle in April. I used the link provided by Ari and I think I have found the species name for my mites. But I do not understand Russian so I ask the help of Ari. Is it Sancassania chelone (= Carpoglyphus moniezi)? The picture is the N.285 in the book.

Walter

[Ari Kainelainen]

Hallo!
I think yes, You right.
I will translate the main ideas that written in book:
Hypopus (deutonymph) of this specie a very look likes on Caloglyphus polyphyllae, but have thiner legs, and thiner knife-shaped setae on tibia and patella I and II. Also this specie have bigger suction disk (width of this disk placed about 2,5 times in the maximum width of propodosoma) and suckers.

Keys:
1 (2)Coxal suckers replaced by setaes; distal segments of gnathosoma wide apart, long.....
- No, Your specie have suckers on coxa, so - 2
2 (1)Coxal suckers normal structure; distal segments of gnathosoma lcated close to each other...
- Yes, so - 3
3 (4) Legs I and II extremely short, thick and conical. Located almost completely under propodosomal shield......
- No, so - 4
4 (3) Legs I and II  not hidden under shiled, least three distal segments of this legs not hidden.......
- Yes, so 5
5 (12) Gnathosoma completley hidden under apical part of propodosomal shield. Dorsally visible only two "hairs"
- Yes, 6
6 (7) Length of propodosomal shield a few less than 1/2 of lenght histerosomal shield....
- No, 7
7 (6) Length of propodosomal shield not more than 1/4 of lenght histerosomal shield......
- Yes, 8
8 (9) Length of propodosomal shield = 1/6 Lenght of histerosomal shield. Legs I and II short, dorsally visible only patella, tibia tarsus (femur hidden under shield). Tarsus very short, shorter than tibia+patella ....
- No, so 9
9 ( Propodosomal shield in 4,5-5 times shorter than histerosomal. Leg I and II narrow, tarsus not short, longer or = than tibia+patella.
- Yes, so 10
10 (11) Dorsally visible only distal part of patella, tibia and tarsus of II legs.
Inner ventral spines of tibia I and II thinner than outer spines. Lateral borders of gnathosoma are direct, parallel to each other.  Rosrtal ledge set aside less from propodosomal side. Lenght of ventral side not more than width. Width of suction disk could be placed in the maximum width of body less than 3 times. Length 255 - 390 µm. Was found under elytra of may bug (Melonotha sp. sp.)....C. moniezi A.Z.

May bug confirmed identification as well!

[Walter Pfliegler]

Thank You very much! I show two more photos of this specimen with 100x objective.

Ari, could You translate what is written about the adult of the mite? I want to write an article in the Wiki.

Walter

[Ari Kainelainen]

Hallo!
There a few information:

This specie described insufficiently. It is a very look likes on C.polyphyllae and C. berlesi. Deutonymphs differ better than other stages.
Adults could be distinct from C.polyphyllae so: They have two sickle-shaped setaes on leg IV. The big setaes of idiosoma serrated thin.
Differences from C. berlesei: Sickle-shaped setaes setaes from legs III and IV has a big sizes.
Sexual dimorphism expressed good: Males many smaller than females.
Pseudostigmal organ, setaes of hypostom, location and sizes of postanal setaes (male) and number of anal microchetae (female) are unkown.

Males:
Exist only homeomorph phase (like C. polyphylae).
Copulative apparatus identical C. polyphylae's apparatus.
Setaes of idiosoma are hard, sizes of it likely not a range; d2 and d3 has almost the same length; lp a many longer than these setaes; d4 a many than in two times longer than d2 or d3. Length of body: 810µm
Length of idiosoma not more than 720-730µm.

Females:
Exist two form: normal by sizes (1150-1250µm), oviparous - they are whitish and has different numbers of eggs (not more than 35); and the second form - are gigantic (sometimes 2000µm or even 2262µm), viviparous - they are dull grayish or red, like a brick; they almost stationary, can't move (because histerosoma a very inflated). Into this females could be eggs(on the differents steges of embryonic development), larvaes, protonymphs and sometimes deutonyphs.
Lenght of eggs - 153 - 180µm, diameter - 99 - 117µm.
Larvaes not described correctly.

[Walter Pfliegler]

Hi, than You very much for the translation!
The article in German is ready:

http://wiki.spinnen-forum.de/index.php?title=Sancassania_chelone


Walter

[Ari Kainelainen]

Hallo!
Nice. You could add range of occurence: France, Netherlands, Germany, Russia.

[Walter Pfliegler]

Thank You, One more question: does polyphyllae live in Europe?

W

[Ari Kainelainen]

According the book - yes, it live in Georgia (Batumi).